Tim Clancy: 'It seems to be this thing that we’re not allowed to get penalties. We don’t get decisions'

Cork City manager Tim Clancy vents his frustration at the decision not to award his side a second half penalty. 

FRUSTRATED: Cork manager Tim Clancy vents his frustration at the standard of officiating in the LOI. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Cork City manager Tim Clancy has again vented his frustration at the standard of officiating in the League of Ireland as he believes his side were denied a penalty against St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday night.

City would lose the fixture – they are now six games without a win on their return to the Premier Division – thanks to superb strikes from Chris Forrester and Brandon Kavanagh at the end of the first half.

But the Rebel Army, who also saw their 23-game unbeaten run in the league come to an end, felt they should have had a penalty early in the second period when Cathal O’Sullivan went down just inside the area.

“They say they even themselves out, we must be due about 45 penalties in the second half of the season because it’s not good enough,” said Clancy shortly after full time.

“It’s not good enough, it’s a clear push and an arm in the back of Cathal from Chris Forrester.

“Everyone we spoke to – LOI TV – they all thought it was a penalty as well. That’s big moments, and they’re not giving us the decisions we deserve.

"There were two or three against Sligo that should be given to us, and they’re not given to us. So, I don’t know, something needs to be looked into – why Cork City don’t get penalties.

“It's a penalty. It can’t be any other decision. Anywhere on the pitch, a player runs into the back of someone, pushes them and falls on them with their arm around them, it’s a foul.

“If you look in the first half, Axel [Sjöberg] is at the corner flag going back towards his own goal, he’s run himself into danger, there’s no contact he falls over and grabs the ball. Marc [Lynch] blows the whistle and gives a free kick.

“So how he cannot then judge the one in the box, a big, big moment in the game as not a penalty is beyond me. Everybody I’ve spoken to and everybody that’s seen it has said that’s a penalty.

“So how can everybody be wrong bar the referee? How can it be? The fourth official is sitting there going: ‘I don’t know, I think it might have been outside the box.’ That’s irrelevant – it’s still a foul.

“Are we getting punished because it was inside the box? If that’s on the halfway line, he blows the whistle and gives it.

“Is there a degree of contact that needs to be in the penalty area or is that a magic white line, the second that you go over it – now it has to be an assault or something?

“Go back three or four weeks against Sligo, down here, it was an absolute disgrace that we never got a penalty. There were four incidents in the game, an absolute disgrace.

“There is a lot of talk about the one we got against Drogheda, cheeky people saying that we didn’t deserve it, when it’s clearly hit the kid’s arm as well.

“It seems to be this thing that we’re not allowed to get penalties. We don’t get decisions.

“To compound it I had one last week, a yellow card against Derry [City], the fourth official saying it’s not a handball, the referee gives it from behind him, he can’t see it.

“I say ‘it’s not a hand’. Book him. Their way to keep you quiet on the sidelines is to give you a yellow card. It’s a power thing.” 

On a disappointing night for City, Clancy was keen to praise the performance of youngster Cathal O’Sullivan, who stood out despite the competition of Tottenham Hotspur bound Mason Melia at the other end of the pitch.

“You’re looking at the most expensive player ever in the League of Ireland in Mason Melia up top. Cathal O’Sullivan played up top and as I said there to LOI TV, I said if Mason Melia is going for €2m, Cathal O’Sullivan should be going for about €10m,” added Clancy.

“I think he stood head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch, for his ability holding the ball, his decision making. His ball carrying. He cut inside and had a couple of shots, the trademark that he normally does.

“When you have Cathal who is playing out of position and still being the best player on the pitch by a distance, you still carry that threat all the time.

“He was absolutely miles above anyone else on the pitch tonight, from start to finish. We’ve seen it down here the last 12 months.

“He missed six games there because of injury, but I think the rest of the league will start to see exactly what he’s like.

“He’s playing out of position tonight and I thought he was the best player on the pitch. He’s fantastic.

“If you watched the two of them tonight, who would you want to sign?”